DC Council Member Trayon White on Trial for $150K Bribery Scheme

Trayon White's federal bribery trial opened this week in Washington, D.C. The councilman allegedly took over $150,000 in cash to steer city contracts to an associate's businesses.

DC Councilman Trayon White Faces Federal Bribery Trial in Washington

A federal bribery trial opened this week in Washington, D.C., for Trayon White, a member of the D.C. Council accused of taking cash payments in exchange for leveraging his elected office to secure city contracts for an associate's businesses, ABC News US reports.

Jurors in the nation's capital heard opening statements Tuesday in White's trial on a single count of bribery. White has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors allege White accepted more than $150,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring D.C. government employees to extend contracts for violence intervention services. Authorities say an FBI informant secretly recorded conversations with White and handed him $35,000 in cash across four separate meetings.

White was arrested in 2024. Following his arrest, fellow D.C. Council members voted unanimously to remove him from his seat. Despite the expulsion, White won a special election last year to reclaim the Ward 8 council seat he had been forced to vacate.

Source: ABC News US